In the opening words of
Hebrews 3, the Holy Spirit tells us three things about all true believers, all
who trust the Lord Jesus Christ. All true believers are “holy”. All true believers are “brethren”.
All true believers are “partakers of
the heavenly calling”.

There
are some people in this world described by the Holy Spirit as “The
Called” (Rom. 1:6; 8:28). Those who are the called of Jesus Christ are
God’s elect, those sinners redeemed by the precious blood of Christ who have
been saved by his almighty, irresistible grace. All the rest of the elect shall
be called; but those who are saved are “the
called”. We have been called from death to life, from unbelief to faith in
Christ.

All who are privileged to hear
the gospel preached are called externally by the preaching of the gospel. But
those who are saved, “the called”, have
been called internally, effectually, and irresistibly by God the Holy Spirit. “The called” are like the Thessalonian
saints. Their election, redemption, and calling is made manifest by the fact
that the Word of God has come to them, not in word only, but in the power of
the Holy Ghost.

I remind you once more - There is no effectual call of grace apart
from the preaching of the gospel. Yet, the preaching of the gospel will never
produce life and faith in Christ without the effectual call of God the Holy
Spirit. Salvation comes to chosen, redeemed sinners in the experience of
grace by the almighty, irresistible, effectual call of God the Holy Spirit. It
is this call of which David sang, when he said, “Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto
thee.” This is the call the Apostle Paul was talking about when he said, “God separated me from my mother’s womb,
called me by his grace, and revealed his Son in me.” He was talking about
this internal, effectual call when he wrote to Timothy, in 2 Timothy 1:9-10. God “hath saved us, and called us with an
holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and
grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, But is now
made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished
death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel."

Notice
how the Apostle Paul describes this call of God. When he speaks of it, he seems
to be so overwhelmed by it, in such awe of it that he cannot find words
sufficient to describe it. He calls it…

·“An
Holy Calling” (2 Tim. 1:9).

·“The
High Calling of God” (Phil. 3:14).

·“The
Calling of God” (Rom. 11:29).

·“Your
Calling” (1 Cor. 1:26; Eph. 4:4).

·“The
Heavenly Calling” (Heb. 3:1).

Let
all who are numbered among “the called”,
all who have been made “partakers ofthe heavenly calling”, give praise to
God alone foreverfor his unspeakable,
irresistible grace bestowed on us in Christ!